


Magnum Opus

by ThatMasterOnline



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-11 14:04:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15973841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatMasterOnline/pseuds/ThatMasterOnline
Summary: Kabuto meets an interesting girl in the leaf village, and he decides he has to have her. She'll be his greatest experiment yet.





	1. I need a friend

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of translations here. "Magnum Opus", according to Wikipedia, is a "creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship."
> 
> Shizuka means quiet or silent, and Ai means love.

It was a warm, sunny day in the leaf village when he met her. Kabuto was out taking a stroll, admiring the serenity that was soon to be short lived when tapping above him made him look up. A young girl, about his age, was seated in a tree, looking utterly miserable and kicking the trunk with an ankle. She had black hair that trailed down to her back, and she was wearing a knee-length navy blue dress that fluttered in the wind. All in all, she looked like a lovely young girl...who happened to be in a particularly sour mood. 

“You know, it’ll probably start storming if you keep frowning like that,” he joked, making her look down at him. She shrugged, her gaze wandering away from him after mere seconds. Bored with the conversation before it had even begun.

“Whatever. Not like I care if anyone else gets rained on.”

“What about yourself? You won’t be able to sit in that tree anymore if it starts raining.”

“Do you need something?” She asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.

“I need a friend. I was thinking maybe you needed one too.” She looked at him, and he saw the slightest crack in her armour before her defences went back up. She shrugged.

“Whatever. Sit here if you want.” He jumped up in the tree, seating himself delicately on a branch beside hers.

“My name is Kabuto Yakushi.”

“...Shizuka Ai.”

“Shizuka, that’s a lovely name.”

“Whatever.” ...And fitting, too.

“So, what brings you out here all alone? Will you be watching the Chuunin exams?”

“Yeah, I’ll watch.”

“Have you ever thought of entering the Chuunin exams yourself?”

“Why would I?”

“You don’t want to become a ninja?”

“No, I’d love to become a ninja...but I can’t. I find it hard to believe you haven’t heard about me, if you live here.”

“...Should I have?”

“I’m famous.” She sighed. “The girl with no chakra system. I went to the academy, when I was little, but I was gently encouraged to quit by all of my teachers. Didn’t help that all the other kids laughed at me. I decided I wanted nothing to do with a bunch of ninja who would pick on me while at the same time learning to protect the weak.” Kabuto frowned delicately.

“No, I haven’t heard of you. But I won’t laugh like everyone else.”

“Not gonna pity me either?”

“No. I think that if there’s something negative in your life, you should try to change your circumstances.”

“How? It’s not like you can transplant an entire chakra system like a liver or a lung.” Kabuto smiled. 

“Well...We don’t know that for sure. It may be possible, but nobody’s tried.” Not yet, at least. Kabuto intended to try the second he had access to the materials he needed.

“Probably because that involves taking the chakra network out of a living human.”

“Well, yes, but it may still be possible. I’m sure the first person who tried to transplant a heart or a lung was doing so illegally, too.”

“...Whatever.”

“You know, the chuunin exams are starting soon.”

“Yeah, I need to get going soon. I always liked watching.”

“Then you should go. You wouldn’t want to miss the spectacle.” It will really be a show this year, Kabuto thought to himself.

“...Will you sit with me?”

“I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m a medical nin, I need to be standing by to heal the ninja after they finish their fight.” She smiled at him, ever so slightly.

“Sounds important. Hey. Promise me you’ll find me after the chuunin exams are over? We should talk more.” He was the first person ever to not laugh or pity her. Maybe she could finally make a friend.

“I promise.” A girl with no chakra system...Kabuto wouldn’t miss a chance to experiment on her for the world. Of course they would meet again, and sooner than Shizuka expected.


	2. Magnum Opus

Things were going as expected. A simple touch of chakra, and everyone in the arena, Shizuka included, was sound asleep. With his job done, it was time for Kabuto to take his leave. He picked Shizuka up, holding her in his arms, and took off. When he was back at Orochimaru’s hideout, he laid her down on a simple bed, took that bed into his personal storeroom, shackled her ankle to the floor, and then left. The bed made his storeroom a touch cramped, but everybody knew to stay away from his stores under threat of death or use as a human experiment. It was a rule he had enforced before, much to Orochimaru’s displeasure. So, when he shut the door to his storeroom, he knew his experiment would be safe in there. He would love to start right away, but he had to get his tools in order to begin. He’d never been this excited about an experiment before, he had to make sure he didn’t screw up.

His plans to experiment had to be put on hold. Orochimaru came back severely wounded without the use of his arms, and his focus had to be devoted towards tending to him. All he had time for was to drop by a meal for Shizuka with some degree of regularity. Too bad. Still, a fight with lady Tsunade was inspiring, to say the least. Once Orochimaru had switched bodies and regained the use of his arms Kabuto was given much more leeway. He made sure to use it.

“Shizuka, good morning.”

“What, you kidnap me and then ignore me forever? Why don’t you just send me back, then?”

“You don’t want to go back to the Leaf Village, not really.” He took her silence to mean he was right.

“Besides, I’m not going to hurt you, not if I don’t have to.”

“Meaning what? You’ll only hurt me if I try to escape?”

“Yes, but also I’ll only hurt you if an experiment demands it.”

“...”

“Shizuka, I want to try to give you a chakra system.” She stared at him.

“I don’t have everything ready yet, so please be patient for a little while longer.” 

“You’re nuts.”

“Again, so was the person who first attempted a heart or lung surgery. My success here will be improved upon with time. Eventually, chakra network transplants will become common practice, no matter what people may think of me now. Such is the burden of genius...but you don’t have to understand that. All you need to do is rest. And, Shizuka? I wasn’t lying when I said I needed a friend, and I don’t think you were lying when you said you needed one either.”

“I was hoping for one who didn’t experiment on me.”

“Well, beggars can’t be choosers,” Kabuto replied with a smile, “Rest up. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

***

“So, Kabuto,” Orochimaru hummed, “Why the change? Your experiments typically require cadavers, why is this one still alive?”

“Well, without giving too much away, she’s much too precious to let die like just any experiment.” Orochimaru smirked.

“I’ll admit, you’ve got me curious.”

“I haven’t started experimenting yet, so I don’t want to say anything and get your hopes up. Let’s just say if all goes well...Shizuka Ai will be a shining light, one that far outshines any of my previous experiments. That girl...will be my Magnum Opus.”


End file.
